China sides with Russia in opposing military strikes on Syria, warns of oil price surge

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) welcomes China's President Xi Jinping before the first working session of the G20 Summit in Constantine Palace in Strelna near St. Petersburg, September 5, 2013.(Reuters / Grigory Dukor) / Reuters

China joined Russia in its opposition against military strikes on Syria ahead of the G20 summit on Thursday. Beijing said the use of force would cause a swing in oil prices, thereby hurting the global economy.

“Military action would have a negative impact on the global
economy, especially on the oil price – it will cause a hike in
the oil price," China’s vice finance minister, Zhu Guangyao,
said at a pre-G20 briefing in St. Petersburg.

The remark was echoed by other members of the BRICS bloc, Reuters
reported. Aside from China, the bloc consists of emerging
economies including Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa.

Beijing and Moscow have a “very similar position” on the
use of force against the Syrian government, spokesman for the
Chinese delegation at the G20, Qin Gang, told RT.

Both nations are “appealing to the countries concerned, to be
serious about the possible consequences on the use of military
means without the mandate of the UN Security Council,” he
said.

“The facts have shown in recent years that military means
can’t solve a complicated issue like Syria. On the other hand,
military means may cause even more serious humanitarian problems
in the region,” Qin explained.

According to Qin, China’s leadership views a “political
consultation” as the only way out of the “tragic
situation” in Syria, where the country’s civil war has taken
over 100,000 lives over the past two-and-a-half years.

“China is against the use of chemical weapons by any
countries, any organizations or any individuals,” Qin said. “And
given what’s reported, we believe that it’s very important for
the UN to conduct the investigation. Any movement has to be based
on the conclusion of the investigation, which should be free from
any pressure or disturbances.”

China has spoken out against military action despite being
briefed by the US on Monday regarding Washington’s evidence that
Assad’s forces were behind a chemical weapons attack which took
place on August 21.

Russia’s ex-finance minister, Sergey Kudrin, has echoed China’s
concerns regarding a strike on Syria, saying that “any use of
force in there increases risks for the global economy.”

Russia is invulnerable to minor fluctuations in oil prices,
Kudrin told RT, adding that “if the price changed by $30-40,
it would be more noticeable.”

“If we expect that the Syrian crisis affects the oil prices
for a year or two, this is temporary,” Kudrin stressed.
“So, Russia is in no way interested in this kind of oil price
spike. Russia would instead want more stability in that
region.”

Despite the G20 summit being a purely economic forum, Syrian
conflict discussions became the focus of Thursday’s working
dinner, during which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thanked
Vladimir Putin for giving him the opportunity to address world
leaders on the issue. Putin allowed the issue to be discussed,
acknowledging the impact that it has on the world economy.

Barack Obama is seeking approval in Congress for the
“limited” use of force against Syria, as the US claims to
have evidence linking Assad’s government to the use of chemical
weapons.

Russia says the US should present its proof to the UN Security
Council. Otherwise, any military action without a UN mandate
would be a violation of international law.

The Kremlin believes that reports of chemical attacks are a
“provocation” by Western-backed Islamist rebels, claiming
it is illogical for the Syrian government to use toxic gas
against its own people.

Both Putin and Obama will use the G20 summit to promote their
views on the Syrian conflict, Russian presidential spokesman
Dmitry Peskov told RT’s SophieCo program.

“I have no doubt that Mr. Obama will explain his argument and
that he will share his views on this problem with his
counterparts,” Peskov said. “And also I have no doubt that
Mr. Putin will have a perfect opportunity to share his personal
views and Russia’s views on Syria with his colleagues, given the
fact that, let’s say, the situation in the camp of those who are
seeking a strike is very controversial. And we cannot say that
lots of countries are supporting the idea of that strike.”